Review

Why are so many of these so-called “Parody” bands often seen in such a negative light? A strange point to introduce this review, sure, but when that review is of the latest album by a band who have practically built their career around one of death metal's most successful and well-known groups, the meaning of the word “Parody” seems somewhat relevant. That said, Cannabis Corpse are one of those bands who definitely aren't seen in a negative light-at least not by those who love the fact that every song is a direct homage to a world full of drugs.

Interestingly enough, Cannabis Corpse's latest album, From Wisdom to Baked references the title of a previous Gorguts album, and actually seems to have a bit more musical variety than Cannibal Corpse. The likes of “Weedless Ones” and “Pull the Carb” are almost at times progressive and experimental, yet the menacing nature of the songs' themes and tones is always there in spades. Throughout the more simplistic, straightforward likes of opener “Baptised in Bud”, “Considered Dank” and “With their Hash he will create” however, we're basically treated to a no-frills, no-nonsense, fully-fledged death metal sound which is extremely deep in aggressive sound. There's even a song which features no other than Chris Barnes himself, who lends his maniacal vocal delivery to “Individual Pot Patterns”.

The instrumental performance itself, whilst not particularly special on its own, is solid enough to get hooked into. The solos and general riff speed is what makes everything flow here with little effort and a lot of energy. Solos seem to appear in no fixed position, and burst through the recording when you least expect it, as on “Zero Weed Tolerance” and the mid-paced title track. They are often energetic and never seem to lack that extra bit of power which actually makes Cannabis Corpse come across as a more serious band than one would think. The riffs follow a set routine for the most part, but the delivery is what makes them stand out. They can change pace naturally on songs such as “Voice of the Bowl” and “The Crystal Mountain” (the latter of which should have “Meth” in its title), flowing from a slowly menacing build up to an explosive display of thrashy rhythms, and then favouring heaviness by slowing down and losing no aggression whatsoever.

Put simply, From Wisdom to Baked is everything you'd expect from Cannabis Corpse, but done in such a way that it makes the listener to come back again and again. Naturally, there will be those who cast the band off as a mere parody of death metal, and so this is definitively not the sort of album they should come across. But for the others who love death metal done with the right amount of energy and an eccentric enough performance, Cannabis Corpse's latest should suit you just fine.